Multiple cases of grooming jihad of underage girls, including instances of grooming gangs, have been reported from Kerala. Two Islamists, including an upcoming movie director, were arrested for abducting a 17-year-old girl after luring her with the promise of a role in a film. Movie ‘director’ Jasik Ali (36) and his friend Shamnad (33), both residents of Kozhikode, were traced to Madiwala in Bangaluru by a police team that rescued the teenager.

Ali is said to have directed three movies, but none have been released. Pre-release posters of his films called ‘Gigola’ and ‘Binary’ clearly show they are sleaze labeled as crime thrillers. As if the name was not suggestive enough, Gigola claims to be the untold story of male prostitutes! Such antics seem sufficient to tempt, trap, and kidnap minor girls. Ali allegedly used this fame to groom and kidnap the victim. 

The minor girl is from Koyilandy, and her parents approached the police after she went missing. Ali’s car was seen in the vicinity three days before the abduction. This tip helped the police start an investigation as soon as the complaint was received.

Meanwhile, the accused and the victim were on the run for several days and tried their best to evade arrest by frequently changing their hiding places. Upon receiving a tip-off that the girl and the grooming jihadis were in Gundlupet near the Kerala-Karnataka border, a police team led by Koyilandy Circle Inspector N Sunil Kumar reached there. However, they escaped just before the police party arrived. Police examined the CCTV footage of the hotel where they had stayed and confirmed their identity.

To divert police attention, the criminals allegedly changed the vehicle’s number plate. They booked a room in a lodge using a fake address. While on the run, the grooming jihadis did not use mobile phones. A detailed further probe, with the help of the Cyber cell, revealed the accused fled to Mysuru and from there to Bengaluru.

The accused were brought to Koyilandi and produced in court. The minor girl is reportedly crazy about movies and this is what Jasik Ali exploited.

Salih grooms and rapes minor, escapes to Bengaluru

In another case, 23-year-old Salih, who absconded after raping a minor girl by pretending to be in love, was arrested. The suspected grooming jihadi is a native of Olavanna, Kozhikode. After discovering that a case was registered against him, Salih switched off his mobile phone and escaped to Bengaluru, where he hid in many places.

Even after the victim’s mother complained to the local police, they failed to find Salih. She then approached the Chief Minister’s office about the indifference of the Kerala police. Subsequently, the accused was caught in the investigation conducted by a special squad under the leadership of the Kozhikode district Police Commissioner Srinivas IPS.

When Salih realized that the police were following him, he moved to a hideout near Hosur on the outskirts of Bengaluru on the border between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. His local friends helped him. Investigators located Salih’s hiding place, but then he entered Kerala. Salih returned to Kozhikode and stayed at different locations.

Police officers in disguise finally caught the accused. During interrogation, the police got information about his friends who helped him to stay hidden. Officers informed that they, too, will be pursued and booked.

Arafat grooms minor, rapes and trafficks her to other predators

Two criminals who raped and sold a 17-year-old girl to several others were arrested from Kasargod. Arafat, a native of Nellikata in Malappuram, and Muhammad Shafiq, a native of Malappuram, were apprehended. Police said that Arafat groomed the minor and raped her, promising marriage.

Arafat then shared the young girl with Shafiq and pimped her to several others. Police have registered cases against 13 others in the incident. The minor girl went missing in July but returned home even as Vidyanagar police in Kasaragod investigated the complaint filed by her relatives.

The incident came to light after the girl told her family members about her ordeal. Police said the girl was taken to lodges in Kasaragod, Ernakulam, and Kozhikode, where she was raped and sold to the other accused for sex.

Interestingly, a pattern similar to the grooming gangs in England is evolving in Kerala. Having allowed the rape of underage ‘Kafir’ girls to continue unchecked for so long, the politicians are now lecturing for damage control. Pinarayi Vijayan, who also handles the home portfolio, seems to be in a rush to solve old grooming jihad cases. Police who earlier had their hands tied down, are now expected to do the clean-up act.

Grooming jihadis almost never ‘fall in love’ with Muslim girls, and such rapists have plenty of ‘friends’ to help them find hideouts. These criminals have a habit of escaping to Karnataka after committing crimes in Kerala. The bulk of the MDMA drugs that flow into Kerala also finds their origins in Bengaluru.